In routine procedures, operating and target trenches are dug on opposite sides of a driveway, street, etc., under which a pipe, service line, etc., is to be installed. The bucket and operating linkage of a conventional truck or tractor mounted backhoe machine is conventionally disassembled and replaced by a rod and pipe pusher, puller device which device is then positioned and braced in the operating trench. A first rod length is manually inserted through a pair of drive jaws and engaged thereby to push said first rod length under the street, driveway, etc. The trailing end of the first rod length is provided with a coupling to receive a second rod length whereupon the hydraulic drive means is reactivated to push the second rod length forwardly toward the target trench. A sufficient plurality of rod lengths are similarly attached to preceeding rod lengths until the leading tip end of the first rod length emerges into the target trench.
The leading tip end is threadably provided with a pusher cap which is then removed and replaced with an adaptor for the attachment to the end of a pipe to be permanently installed under the above finished surface; said pipe being so installed by reconditioning the bracing means and drive jaws to reverse the direction of movement to pull the pipe back through the hole formed by the rod until the leading end thereof, coupled to the rod emerges into the operating trench.
The above described device and operation thereof is quite conventional, however, certain difficulties and deficiencies have existed principally because of the fact that the backhoe bucket and operating linkage had to be completely removed for installation of the rod and pipe pusher, puller device. Particularly in long pipe installations of 100, 200 or more feet in length, obstructions are frequently encountered which divert the push rods to an extent that the leading end thereof misses the target trench. It then becomes necessary for a crew of men to dig with shovels until they find said leading end.
This is necessary because the removal of the rod and pipe pusher, puller device from the backhoe, the connection of the backhoe bucket thereto and the subsequent removal of the bucket and reinstallation of the pipe pusher, puller device for the pipe pulling operation is so time consuming that it is impractical to use the backhoe for the digging operation required to find the end of the rod.
The above described conventional operation is complicated by the bulk and weight of the bucket and pusher, puller device. It is generally accomplished by a first man operating the hydraulic controls of the backhoe device in an attempt to axially align the respective holes for the necessary pinned connections and a second man who must accomplish the various connections. The complete removal of the bucket and associated linkage, the installation of the rod and pipe pusher, puller, the removal thereof and the reinstallation of the bucket generally consumes a number of man hours of work.
With the device of the present invention, neither the bucket or associated linkage is removed for the connection to the rod and pipe pusher, puller device. In fact, a single pin must be removed to connect said device to the backhoe machine. Consequently the device may be disconnected and the bucket reactivated in a metter of minutes for use in a digging operation to find said leading rod end. In like manner, the bucket may be deactivated and said device reconnected to perform the operation of pulling the pipe back through the hole formed by the rod in a manner of minutes.